Entrepreneurs honoured as they survive first year

THEY have been hailed as perfect examples of how Ireland can survive and beat the recession. And they will create the high-end Smart Economy jobs Ireland needs, the Foreign Affairs Minister said.

Micheál Martin was speaking at an awards ceremony to honour the founders of 17 start-up companies who, despite the unprecedented economic conditions, have completed their first year in business thanks to an established scheme that fosters entrepreneurship and innovation.

They were all involved in the Genesis Enterprise programme, operated by Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) in partnership with eight other regional and national organisations.

It provides a package of supports to entrepreneurs to accelerate the development of their business in the first 12 months, and to ensure the business is sustainable.

The supports include funding, training, office facilities and mentoring.

The enterprise programme has, over the years, helped over 192 entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground including Abtran, Amocom, Comnitel, Cully & Sully, Eolas International, Selatra Games, and Pulse Learning.

The companies on this year's programme are involved in energy, international services, food, electronics, telecommunications, electronic learning, software applications, ergonomic furniture design and a diving operation.

They were all unveiled to the public at an awards scheme last week during which Mr Martin congratulated them on achieving their first year in business.

"You are the companies that will create and deliver the higher end, higher value jobs of the Smart Economy," he said.

John Feeney from dBm Technology, which offers IT and telecoms services to businesses, won the Genesis Emerging Business of the Year.

The Business Development Achievement Award went to Garry Bennett of MyTown.ie, a website which provides communities with a portal to local information and links to local businesses.

Conor Buckley, of Longship Energy Ltd, won the Market Entry Success Award.

His firm, which provides a complete outsourced energy management service to commercial energy users to help them cut costs, has customers in Ireland, Poland and the United States.

The Business Plan of the Year went to Michael O'Neill of Irish Atlantic Salt, which is based on the Beara Peninsula in West Cork.

His company produces the only Irish-made gourmet sea salt range of products.

Other awards went to Anne Ferguson of Ocean Addicts Ltd, and to Simon Dennehy of Perch Dynamic Solutions.

The 2010 Genesis Alumni Award was presented to Pat Ryan, a co-founder of Abtran along with Michael and Gerard Fitzgerald.

It is one of Ireland's largest indigenous business process outsourcers with projected turnover in excess of €40 million this year.